Wednesday, August 10, 2011

What I write below are my views and opinions and I express it with the same passion that the opposite will hold, but argumentative .That I can vouch.

In mid February every year some of the weak hearts like me who live or happen to be in Thpuram scamper out of the town for a day. It is a literal run for some peace, quiet. It is the only possible way to retain ones sanity. The commercially and religiously muscle flexing temple in the suburb of the city will host its Guinness book fame pongal festival. A day when the city is rampaged and controlled by the chaste Hindus! The day is literally a day when the quiet resident of Thpuram will lose his bearings. When you cannot lie down and enjoy rape run away from it. This year while I happened to be in the city during that time I was almost at my nadir of sanity and patience after a host of loudspeakers where placed within a few meters from where I lived, ostensibly playing the cacophony of hymns, songs from a temple nearby, which had the same presiding deity as the Guinness book famed temple. It began at 4 in the early morning and blared till after midnight. In fact the temple is a kilometre away and the hardcore worshippers pulled an extended cable to evict all of us from quiet. I ran away to a distant town for a couple of days and until the faithful had got their absolution and peace with the Gods.

The dual ways that are within ones grasp is either to bear it stoically or run away quietly until the din has subsided. This is the case with many matters in today’s societies in India.

I’m warily looking to the 15 of August which is a few days from now when the mobile will be active from dawn. The beep of the text messages bombarding with wishes, reminders, patriotic and jingoistic slogans, prompting and stating the greatness of India will bother the renegades like me. The less patriotic earthlings! The Bolgdom will have ample Posts emphasising ”Mera Bhrath Mahan”. The sane ways to exist is to accept these statements , reciprocate jingoism and to a lesser extent patriotism that erupts every year for one day on the 15 of August, or to switch off the mobile and not open ones blog that day.

Is it the quirk of fate or the forced delusion that Indians cultivate, I do not know. And we, even after 64 years of the exit of the colonist, run after a mirage –‘Independence’? Yes, we are Free, free that the looters of public wealth go on with their task with blatant impunity. Free, that one fifth of the country has been leased to the Maoist insurgents who have taken up the cause of the hapless and fiercely exploited natives. Free, that the whole of North Eastern states are not reconciled to the union of India. Free, that the simmering discontent and betrayal is dangerous in Jammu and Kashmir. Free, that still we rank about 100 in the world index of development in a scale of 120. Free that we can be oblivious of the fact that sixty percent of women are illiterate and consequently exploited in many ways. Free, that (officially) forty percent of the population is languishing below poverty line. Free, that many parts of central India is harsher socially and economically than the sub Saharan Africa. Free that the perpetrator, an elected person who swore by the constitution but wrecked the most heinous communal frenzy in known history on the Muslims in Gujarat walk all over the country with blatant impudence.

Has anything changed for the better since the last August 15?

Yes this is a myopic, lopsided, cynical view of someone who refuses to see the rockets that we fly beyond the stratosphere, the fledging malls, multi national retail giants and mining companies that have landed in the country, the billions that flow in as foreign direct and institutional investments, the imminent launch of another agricultural revolution aided by multinational corporations like Mosanto ...there is much beyond, I hesitate, I’m not a patriot.

So we have one day, mercifully one day in a year to remember our freedom, independence and the exit of the Empire!

A few days ago I got a few text messages and noticed some general reminders and wishes on “happy friendship day “in my face book wall. My comment on that, which I pasted on the wall ,“Twenty years ago, no one wished me on a certain day and claimed ‘friendship’. If one has to be a friend there need not be a day to remember that. It is silly. Imagine remembering your parents only on a certain day. As funny as that! And people ape, herd instinct it is terribly boring”.

And that attracted this comment from a friend, I was aghast. “@anil....it’s just that in this fast life lane that we all live today we just take a day to dedicate our thoughts for those spl people in our lives...children’s day for kids, mother’s day for mom, father’s day for dad...Birthday to make the person feel spl on the day he/she was born,..it’s just an occasion to reciprocate and respect one’s feeling. Valentine’s day does not mean u lv ur lv only on that day but yes these are ways of reassuring your feeling for ur lvd ones...It’s how u look at it. I don’t think you have to ridicule others who believe in it. The sooner you accept change the better its gonna get...what life was 20 yrs back and today is not the same dear. Change is inevitable.”

Yet another comment came ,"friendship day is for teens.”

So friendship, independence, mother, father, brother, sister, and even one’s life is remembered for one day in a long calendar of 365 days. That is capsule living we have so well aped from the West especially the debt ridden America.

How I wish that I was patriotic and tolerant as the rest! May be I’m misfit!

11 comments:

Well, I am one of the minority who will agree with you 100% on all the issues herein! And I'd vehemently disagree with whoever that remarked on Friendship Day. If people can reduce friendship to a day/ year and let the media and mobile companies and greeting card mfrs make a pile of money, I don't think much of that friend either.

True so very true.. We have got carried away with the media gimmick and the marketing gimmick of the companies , I remember when i was in college I never knew about these days .. they have jsut come up..

ANd As written one day in the year thats capsule living .. I celbrate friendship day Everyday with my friends ..

That picture speaks a lot about the reality of 64 years of Independence.I think these 'days' are more popular amongst college/school goers.Every time i am asked to make badges by the class teacher of my kids, i use this same slogan on them Everyday is -Earth's Day/Friendship/ Mother's Day/ Father's Day.That reminds me that this year i never received any sms message on friendship day .

Minorities may not be wrong all the while. The obsession with the majority opinion and that the majority is always right is miserably the bane of democratic thoughts.

I acknowledge that the subject of "independence day' is an oft mentioned thought.But I felt that is very relevant even if the opinion is in the minority.

As for the comments on the 'Friendship day' and other days of 'commercial brilliance', it is like Coke, a fad!Nothing more, shallow and superficial. All the artful statements made on those days are forgotten before they are heard.

@ Bikramjit,

You too are, am afraid in the minority Bikramjit. Savour it.

@ Kavita,A dispassionate observation will not ask us to evoke all those sloganeering on August 15th. But will call for introspection .Like the parrot it dose not take us somewhere chattering,"India is my country and all Indian....". It is nothing but like chanting the scriptures while knowing not.

You missed out this year as you did not receive any friendship day wishes.

@ Insignai

Why visit the same stuff?

Its just another day like friendship day and mothers day and day day day .....

Anil,I really really loved this post with each word you record here..Especially on the 'freedom' we enjoy..

May be the looters have increased on the political front,may be certain 'ism's lost 'power' for a while..may be the top lawyers had a hike in fee coz' of VIP's they are representing with..The agony continues,even bitter ..from the last august 15 th.

And regarding the 'day' s some are obsessed with,the outlook differs no ? What I usually been asked back when I comment the way you did here,'oh no,you cynics,orthodox folks,don't bother..'Isn't it nice to hear ?

The new age patriotism is to be redefined Anil..It's for rulers and politicians..they sell it,mould it their own way,to make it possible for them to be on the safer side..Whether that's America or India or any other..Just give them a mandate,they can define you,they can teach you the ever changing lessons of patriotism..

The thought behind the post was not to take pot shots and birthdays are days that the person him or her announces with thrill. Can you say that Independence day , Aug 15 will be , hypothetically speaking elate "mother India' in the present?

As for the 'just a another day' that commercial interests have planted in the minds of people I have aid my opinion in the post.